Monitoring Internal Whistleblowing Systems

Whistleblowing is one of the most effective ways to uncover corruption, fraud, mismanagement and other wrongdoing that threatens public health and safety, financial integrity, human rights and the environment. Whistleblowing is the disclosure of information about suspected wrongdoing to individuals or entities believed to be able to effect action. Organisations themselves are often best placed to deal with wrongdoing occurring within their remit, and in practice, most whistleblowers first report such suspected wrongdoing within their organisation. It is, therefore, essential that organisations, whether private companies or public institutions, implement an effective internal whistleblowing system (IWS), also known as “speak up” or internal reporting systems, that provide safe and effective mechanisms to receive and address these reports, as well as robust protection to whistleblowers.

Transparency International has developed this guidance and monitoring framework to support organisations across all sectors and jurisdictions in monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the effectiveness of their IWS, ensuring these are effective and in line with best practice and international standards. This new monitoring tool builds on two earlier resources from Transparency International: Internal Whistleblowing Systems: Best practice principles for public and private organisations, which outlines key elements of effective systems, and Internal Whistleblowing Systems: Self-assessment framework for public and private organisations, a practical tool that enables organisations to evaluate the design and implementation of their systems. Together, these three publications offer a comprehensive suite of guidance for developing, evaluating and continuously improving internal whistleblowing systems.

This tool to monitor IWS includes:

• A framework of indicators to collect data on the functioning of the IWS, including reports of wrongdoing; complaints of detrimental conduct linked to whistleblowing; awareness of and trust in the organisation’s IWS, and on the organisation’s resources for operation of the IWS.

• Guidance on collecting and preparing IWS reports, including key principles, reporting requirements, and roles and responsibilities.

• Guidance on the IWS report structure and key elements that should be included to create a comprehensive and impactful IWS report.